BACKDROP; Suddenly, The World Is Their Market

Published: August 15, 2010

The Web has changed the way that artisans sell their wares, helping to overcome marketing and distribution hurdles. Now, thanks to Web sites like Etsy, DaWanda, 1000 Markets, ArtFire and Silkfair, people all over the world can see -- and buy -- handmade jewelry, clothing, artwork, ceramics and furniture. Etsy, the largest of the sites, has grown to 5.5 million members from 1 million just two years ago; the total value of the goods it sold was $180 million in 2009, more than double that of 2008. And many Websavvy artisans aren't stopping there. They're creating their own Web sites and sending out marketing blasts through their Twitter and Facebook accounts -- bringing a modern twist to the oldfashioned cottage industry.

John T. Unger, hand-cuts steel fire bowls in Mancelona, Mich. Selling mainly through 1000 Markets and his own Web site, johntunger.com, he had gross sales of $188,000 last year.

Ruth E. Baillie, who lives in Glen Ellen, Calif., in the Sonoma Valley, sells her silver jewelry through sites that include DaWanda, which is based in Berlin and has 700,000 members.

Because of her Web presence, Chanel Kennebrew, of Junkprints. com in Brooklyn, attracted the interest of store owners in Japan, who are selling her clothing and accessories in brick-andmortar shops there.

Working at home in Philadelphia, Walter and Margaux Kent make furniture from reclaimed wood, along with books and other items. At near left is a mini-journal. With the help of sites like Etsy, their monthly sales are about $7,000.

PHOTOS (PHOTOGRAPHS BY FABRIZIO COSTANTINI FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES; PETER DaSILVA FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES; YANA PASKOVA FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES; LAURA PEDRICK FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES)